Disclaimer: J. K. Rowling owns Harry Potter. I don't. I make no money off of this, nor do I wish to displease the good people at the copyright place. Don't sue me.

Chapter 4

Starting in November, people started getting excited over quidditch. Harry had read over the rules, and it sounded like an interesting enough game, but he thought that a little too much emphasis was put on the seeker. They basically won or loss the game.

After the incident at the flying lessons, people had been bugging Harry to try out for the team, but, considering that by custom first years don't play, coupled with his general unwillingness to attend the practices, Harry declined. Ron, who had taken to hanging out with them much more often (to Harry's intense displeasure), was especially perplexed at Harry's unenthusiasm for the game. They were standing out on the grounds arguing about it when Professor Snape limped his way over to them.

"What's that in your hand, Mr. Potter?"

"Mechanics of Magic, by Power."

Snape snatched it out of his hand. "Library books are not to be taken out of the school. Five points from Gryffindor." He then stalked off, before Harry could say anything.

"That wasn't a bleeding library book! And he just made that rule up!" Harry was seething. Professor Snape had been entirely unfair to him since day one. He had asked Harry ridiculously difficult questions in class that day, right after mocking his celebrity status, trying to embarrass him. Harry would not have been able to answer if he had not learned the book before school. He even took points for being a know-it-all. He's the one who asked!

"Harry, watch your language." Hermione seemed to be trying to be stern and sympathetic at the same time.

"Calm down, mate. That's just Snape for you." Harry just glared at him. 'I am not your mate.'
"Well, I'm getting my book back." And with that he stormed off, making his way to the teachers' lounge. When he got there, the door was partially open. Hearing voices, Harry listened.

"Stupid thing. How are you supposed to watch all three heads at once?" 'That's professor Snape. And he was getting onto me for braking rules, when he is sneaking around forbidden corridors?!' Harry decided it was time to enter the conversation.

"Actually, sir, I don't believe you are supposed to be able to watch all three heads at once. That would kind of defeat the purpose. So, why were you trying to sneak down a trap door in a forbidden section of the school?" Harry was aware that he could get into a lot of trouble for this, but didn't really care at this point.

"POTTER!"

"No need to shout, sir. I'm right here." He smirks.

"GET OUT!" Snape was growing redder by the second.

"Actually, sir, I need my book back."

"No! I confiscated it for your violation of the rules!"

"Sir, that is not a library book. It is from my own, personal collection."

"Nonsense. Why would a first year need a book like this?" He seemed to be forgetting what Harry had just heard.

"Because I thought it looked interesting. I have already read it several times, but I would like it back none the less." Harry was starting to get annoyed.

"Well, I will be keeping it until the end of the semester as a punishment for eavesdropping on my conversation." He was just trying to piss Harry off now. 'Well, congratulations, professor. You succeeded.'

"We can take this to the Headmaster, if you prefer." Harry hoped Snape let his pride trap himself. He did.
"Fine. Follow me, Mr. Potter." Harry smirked.

As they made their way through the halls, Harry noticed that Snape seemed to be mumbling something about arrogance and 'Snivillus.' 'Heh, I bet that's what they called him in school. Fitting.' They finally arrived at a gargoyle. Snape muttered a password too quietly for Harry to hear, and it moved aside, revealing an escalator.

When they got to the top, they were asked to come in before they even knocked. "Ah, Severus. And Mr. Potter as well! What can I do for you."

"Mr. Potter has been in violation of the school rules. When I enacted a punishment, he requested a meeting with you to decide if the punishment was fair." Snape seemed to be trying to present a reasonable argument to the headmaster.

"Oh? And what was his crime?"

"He had a library book out side the school, and he was spying on my private conversation with Mr. Filch in the teachers' lounge. I took house points and confiscated the book."

"That sounds reasonable. Mr. Potter, what is your take on this?" Snape looked upset. He obviously didn't think the Headmaster would question Harry.

"I am innocent of both charges," Harry claimed, formally. "That was a book from my personal collection, and I only heard what Professor Snape was saying when I went in to ask for my book back. I believe the professor is just upset because I heard him say that he attempted to get past the Cerberus that guards the forbidden chamber on the third floor."

At this, Professor Dumbledore looked sufficiently shocked. He looked at Snape for a while before seeming to decide what to say. "Well, I think you should give Mr. Potter his book back, Severus." Snape seemed to have taken one of the lemon drops from the bowl on the Headmaster's desk, if his sour look was anything to go by, but he complied. "Now, if you'll excuse me, Mr. Potter, I need to speak to Professor Snape alone."

'Yeah, I bet you do.' "And the five points he took, sir?" 'Yeah, I'm rubbing it in, so what?'

"Of course. Five points to Gryffindor." 'How does he stay so calm?'

"Good bye, Headmaster. Professor." And with that, he left. Laughing.

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The next day, before breakfast, Harry had told Hermione everything that had happened. She went immediately to Snape's defense, saying that no professor would be trying to steal the stone. Harry still didn't know if he believed that Snape tried to take it or not.

"Look, either way, we'll know today at breakfast."

"How?"

"Well, if Snape is at breakfast, he obviously had a good excuse." He still couldn't help but smile everytime he thought of the trouble he put Snape through.

"Well, that's true. I think you are enjoying yourself too much."

"Well, it's funny." And, truly, it was.

They got to the Great Hall and Harry immediatly felt the glare of his favorite professor. He just smirked at the greaseball. There was a lot of commotion in the hall today. It was the first quidditch game of the season. Gryffindor versus Slytherin. Everyone was surrounding the team, trying to get them hyped, or what not. Harry just sat next to Hermione, occationally eating a bite or two.

Later, Harry was walking to the game with Hermione, being followed by Ron, when Hagrid joined them.

"Er, Ron, why don't yeh run up ahead. I need ter talk ter Harry n' Hermione a bit." Ron was a bit miffed, but he complied. "Now, what happened with Snape that's got him so worked up with yeh?"

Snickering, Harry replied, "Well, he got into trouble because I over heard him saying that he was trying to get past fluffy on Halloween."

"Well, he hasn't been fired, so I assume he had a good reason, but he definately tried to get past Fluffy. He's got the bite marks to prove it."

"Fluffy wouldn' hurt a fly!"

"Sure he would; he's a guard dog. It's his job."

"Oh, yeah, well....He's still a good dog." Hagrid seemed to be a bit defensive about his Cerberus. 'I suppose he's had quite a few people tell him that giant killer dogs don't make good pets.'

"I don't doubt it."

They then made their way back to the stands. They were just in time to see the game start. Gryffindor had a new seeker this year, but Harry hadn't heard her name. Who ever she was, she was easy to spot. She had pink hair. As they watch the game, Harry began to feel worse, and worse. Eventually, Harry got to the point that he couldn't stand anymore. His head was pounding, and it felt like someone kept hammering a wedge into his scar.

"Harry, are you alright?" asked a worried Hermione. Almost as soon as she said that, his head practically split open. He grunted in pain and bent double, clutching his head. Looking around, Hermione saw that Quirelle was looking right at Harry, and that he seemed to be enjoying what he saw. "Just a second, Harry. I'll be right back."

Harry, who had seen what she was looking at, grabbed her hand. "Wait, don't go near him."

"Why? He's hurting you."

Harry decided it was time to leave. He got Hagrid's attention. "Hagrid, I'm not feeling well. We're just going to go."
Hagrid looked down at him. "Well, why don' yeh come over ter me hut, and I'll fix yeh a cup o' tea."

"That would be fine."

As soon as they got out of Quirelle's line of sight, the pain receded. Harry got back to Hagrid's hut feeling much better.

"Well, I think I know who it is that is trying to steal the stone." Hagrid dropped the cup he had just picked up at Harry's statement.

"What do yeh mean someone's tryin' ter steal it?"

"Well, we had thought it was Snape, what with him trying to sneak past Fluffy and all, but now I think he was just trying to head off Quirelle."

"That would just make it easier for him." Hermione seemed much more willing to believe this on Quirelle than Snape. Maybe because she just saw Quirelle trying to hurt Harry.

"Well, what makes you think he is trying to get it?" Hagrid seemed determined not to believe that someone would try to steal it.

"Well, we saw him in Diagon Alley, the very day that it was broken into. He's the one who told everyone about the troll on Halloween (I'm betting he let it in as a distraction), and he just attacked my mind. The thing is, though, that I think he has some connection to Voldemort." This seemed to shock both Hermione and Hagrid.

"What makes you think that Harry?" Hermione seemed really scared.

"Well, the pain I was getting in my head just now was coming from my scar. I wouldn't think that anyone but the guy that put it there would be able to affect it."

"Harry, I think yeh are over reactin'. It was probably jest a head ache. An' all that other stuff was just coincidence." Harry and Hermione shared a dark look.

They spent the rest of the day hanging out with Hagrid. Harry didn't really want to leave; he was having fun not being with Ron. Eventually, they all went to dinner. Ron wanted to know why they left the game early. Hermione had been asking Harry to include Ron in with what they knew about the stone, but Harry was sure Ron would just screw everything up.